


Questions

by Inkpot



Series: Another Thread: Unbroken Bonds [11]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Information Exchange, Mention of past relationships, relevant because it tells you something about gadget's mindset here, semiverbal gadget
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21652837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inkpot/pseuds/Inkpot
Summary: Shadow didn't expect a visitor, but he expected his request even less.Gadget makes progress on his personal goals.
Series: Another Thread: Unbroken Bonds [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1505933
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	Questions

**Author's Note:**

> I have somehow survived nanowrimo! Made good progress in the Forces longfic for this series, though I still have a bunch left to work on. But once I have that reasonably well squared away, we're going in. 
> 
> Sadly this is the last plotty ficlet in the main part of the war, but if I accidentally end up with some extra scenes I'll probably toss em out to help tide you all over until I can start posting Forces era content. In the meantime, hope you enjoy!

Shadow skimmed through the article once more before huffing and tossing the tablet aside. Nothing, no hints at all. Not that he’d expected different but he’d gotten his hopes up again. As much as he appreciated the relief from boredom, reading these articles was terrible for his blood pressure. It was a good thing that wasn’t such a health risk with his biology.

He leaned back in the rickety old chair, staring up at the ceiling. The boards upstairs were tattered, with enough splinters that he wouldn’t dare go barefoot, but the room he was in had smooth concrete instead. The ragged shack was more of a cover for one of Rouge’s old safehouses than an actual building people could use.

The quiet was interrupted by the monitor next to him giving a loud ping. He glanced at it sharply, mind already running through what might have set off the security before he even moved to check.

One of the cameras outside had picked up someone’s approach, and as he switched to that view he found himself looking at someone he didn’t recognize. The wolf was holding some sort of tablet like device, tapping at the screen with a focused expression and apparently paying no attention to his surroundings. A moment later he looked directly at the camera, blinked, and gave it a bright smile and wave.

Shadow frowned. He’d initially guessed the wolf was a random passerby, but considering he either he knew there was a camera there or wanted to look like he believed it, that seemed less likely.

The wolf cocked his head, looking vaguely puzzled, like he’d expected some sort of response. After another moment he shrugged and returned to his tablet, glancing at the camera again from time to time.

Shadow watched this behavior for a minute, considering his options. Logically he ought to leave this alone, ignore the wolf unless he got too close and then vanish before he could notice something was up. But there was something… strange about him. Something besides the fact that he’d spotted the hideout’s cameras.

Then it hit him. Reaching out a little, he could feel the spark of the wolf’s life force, but also… something more, a familiar but different energy, curled around the spark and reaching out on a level beyond the physical. An energy he recognized from his last encounter with a certain jackal.

Well then. In this case, this might be worth investigating after all.

With a brief flash, Shadow teleported out of the base and to a spot a few feet away from the wolf. He stirred the gravel beneath him to get the other’s attention.

The wolf whirled to face him, one hand going for his belt before he saw who it was and relaxed. A moment later his expression brightened. “I was wondering if you’d ever come out here.”

Shadow raised a brow, folding his arms over his chest.”You were looking for me?”

He nodded. “Mhm. I had a few questions to ask, but with the illusion yous tracking you was hard.”

“…You know about the illusions?”

“Yep. And I know you’re not one.” He tapped his tablet a few more times before stuffing it into one of his pockets. “I’m Gadget. And I want to know what really happened with Infinite.”

There was a beat of silence while Shadow considered this. “…What makes you think I can answer your questions?”

Gadget smiled. Unlike earlier, though, it wasn’t a very happy smile. “I know more than you think. And… I know you met his squad.”

Shadow’s fingers dug into his elbows. “What about it?”

There was a pause, something making the wolf hesitate before speaking his next sentence. “Do you know what happened to them after your encounter?”

Shadow was silent for a long moment, studying Gadget’s face for any sign of what he’d come here for. It was clear that the wolf wasn’t going to explain his sources or reasons outright, but to ask something like that…

He eventually decided to go with honesty. “I don’t. I would assume they left Eggman to find other work, if they had any sense. Especially once the war started.”

Gadget took a moment too long to speak, gaze fixed on the ground and bangs hiding his expression. Shadow’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know?”

The wolf finally looked at him again, surprising Shadow with the fire blazing in his eyes. “Because Infinite was told otherwise.”

Shadow paused, assessing that statement. Not just believed, but told, like that fact was important. For that matter, the fact that he knew this at all… much less giving it as a reason…

Instead of voicing his thoughts, he said, “Did you really seek me out just for that?”

Gadget nodded, paused, and shook his head. “One other question.”

Shadow gestured for him to go ahead.

Gadget hesitated again, but it was somehow different from his earlier hesitation. “Can… can I tell the resistance main squad you’re safe?”

The silence stretched long as Shadow considered that. When he spoke, it wasn’t with an answer. “You’re with them then?”

Gadget was already shaking his head. “I help them sometimes, but I’m unaffiliated. Too dangerous to stay with anyone for long.” He shot Shadow a wry smile that clearly said You know enough about that already. “But I know they’d appreciate hearing that you’re alive.”

“You can tell Knuckles,” Shadow said after a pause. “As their commander, he should know. Especially since…” He almost said something about Sonic, but cut himself off before he could dig deeper into that wound.

Gadget’s expression went soft and sad. Somehow, Shadow knew he’d guessed his thoughts. “Okay. I’ll tell him.” He fiddled with a device on his wrist, suddenly twitchy. “I… should go now. Hope I haven’t bothered.”

Shadow snorted. Like he’d have stayed if it was a bother. “Mind if I ask a few questions of my own first?”

Gadget raised a brow, opening his mouth to speak. Shadow waved him off before he uttered a syllable. “Call it curiosity. And you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but it seems only fair. So?”

There was a brief pause before Gadget nodded again.

“First. What’s your relationship with Infinite?”

The answer came promptly, not rehearsed but obviously automatic. “He’s trying to catch me.”

“I see. Next, what was his name before he became Infinite?”

Gadget flinched at that, eyes widening the slightest bit before he forced his expression back to neutral calm. His hands tugged at the edges of his gloves, but otherwise he didn’t move at all.

Shadow hmphed. “You may not have said anything, but I can put clues together on my own.” He hadn’t been certain until he’d seen that reaction, but Gadget didn’t need to know that.

There was a brief hesitation before Gadget responded. His voice was soft, and cold in a way that didn’t come from anger. “…Zero. His name was Zero.”

Shadow bowed his head for a moment, acknowledging the response. “Once more, before you go… What was your relationship?”

There was a pause. Then Gadget smiled, a soft expression if not for the pain in his eyes. “I don’t know.”

He shot his grappling hook and vanished without another word. Shadow watched him go in silence. He could catch up if he wanted, but instead he headed back to the safehouse.

This wasn’t his place to interfere, and experience told him there wasn’t a thing he could do to help. He knew the pain of lost chances all too well.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](https://lessinkmoregraphite.tumblr.com/).


End file.
